Format and Schedule
Tentative Conference Schedule PFLC 2013
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General Format of PFLC 2013
1. The participants will be grouped into parliamentary-style committees. Each committee will discuss issues related to a particular category during sessions on Saturday morning/afternoon and Sunday morning. Each committee will be led by Committee Chairs (who will mostly be students, there is an option for applying to Chair your first choice committee on the form) who will manage the discussion. The indicated experts/academics/policy makers will also be in attendance to be part of the discussions.
2. Keynote Speakers will address the delegates during the opening session on Friday and then at the keynote address on Saturday evening. There will be an open floor Q&A session with the keynote speakers after their talk.
3. On Sunday afternoon, there will be a joint session of all the delegates where the salient recommendations compiled by each committee will be debated and voted upon.
4. After the joint session, the top delegates of the conference (chosen by their respective committees) will sit face to face with representatives of the main political parties to discuss the outcomes of the conference in a debate.
5. During the conference, think tanks will be formed comprising of students to deliberate and come up with policy measures on key issues from time to time. There will also be a follow-up session of the Conference at a later date where the think tanks formed will meet for deliberations.
PFLC 2013 Committees
1. Interior Affairs
a. Elections 2013
b. Religious extremism and Sectarian Killings
c. FATA, PATA and Balouchistan (Missing persons, War on terror, War lords, Qoumi Lashkars)
2. Foreign Affairs
a. Relations with America & India
b. Afghanistan policy amid NATO withdrawal
c. Ties with Arab World after Arab Spring
3. Education
a. Higher Education and Science, Technology and Innovation
b. Devolution of Higher Education Commission
c. Class-based education system
4. Legal affairs
a. Blasphemy law
b. Backlog in civil dispute cases
c. The future of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Pakistan
5. Finance and Economics
a. Structural constraints to growth
b. Rising debt and dependence on Foreign Aid
c. Approach towards regionalism to tackle trade, energy deficit
6. Environment
a. Water pollution from industrial and other wastes
b. Urbanization and its impact on the environment
c. Mega hydro-projects and their economic, environmental and political costs
7. Health and Social Issues
a. Killing of Polio workers in Pakistan
b. Gender Disparity and crimes against women
c. Implementing labour standards in the wake of factory fires
Note: There will be an opportunity to apply for Chair for a delegate committee when you register for PFLC 2013 - you will have a better chance of being selected as the chair if you apply early. Please email your relevant experience in the field/subject and a brief on proposed discussion agenda to info@pflc.co.uk. Please further note that you need to first register for the conference to be considered for a chair.